Garment



y 1944 B. TER'RELL 2,349,019-

GARMENT Filed Feb. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BETTIE TERREZL g6 M/Hf 1944- B. TERRELL 2,349,019

GARMENT v Filed Feb. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Elwyn/Mow 5577/5 TE/P/PELL Patented May 16, 1944 'GARMENT Bettie Terrell, Dallas, Tex., assignor to The Johnston Company poration of Texas 0., Dallas, Tex., a cor- Application February 23, 194:3.Serial No. 476,819-

2 Claims.

skirts, dresses, slacks, etc. for women, and childrens skirts or dresses have employed elastic about the waist to hold the waist portion snugly to the body. Due to the present scarcity of rubber, this securing means can no longer be employed and an object of the'present invention is to provide an easily adjustable fastening or securing means to replace the unobtainable elastic by whichthe garment waist size can be readily altered to suit the desires of the wearer and the waist part of the garment will retain at all times a pleasing appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draw means for the waist of dresses, skirts, slacks, pajamas and like garments which will give to the garment a gathered waist belt form for all adjustments and effectively conceal the real nature or construction of the waist.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel draw means for the waists of garments of the nature stated in which two sets of looped draw-strings are disposed in vertically spaced relation with portions of the loops extending beyond the sides of the garment to be tied together to form side or hip bows, the material between the two sets of loops being gathered to form a plaited waist band for the garment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel draw-string arrangement for a garment which in addition to providing a broad belt-like, easily adjustable waist construction, forms close lying plaits extending lengthwise of the garment, the plaits being accentuated as the drawstrings are tightened.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the upper part of a garment, such as a skirt, showing the invention applied thereto, a portion of the material being broken away to show the two loops of one set.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view illustrating the relation of the loops of the two sets and the relative positions of the sets.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the draw-string loops shifted 'or. drawn up to reduce the waist size of the garment and showing the adjacent extensions of the loops of the two sets tied ina bow.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of one side of the garment showing how the ends of the loops come out of the loop guides formed in the top hem.

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figurefi.

Figure 7 is a view showing the top of the garment in broken outline and showing the drawcords or strings in their relative positions in the garment.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character G generally designates a garment, here shown as a skirt but which may be of any character such as slacks, pajama pants or the like having a waist encircling portion, the size of which is alterable.

In carrying out the invention the top edge of the garment has a relatively wide portion IQ of the material turned over and in to form the wide hem II. This hem is stitched entirely around the garment along two pairs of spaced, parallel rows, the rows of stitching for each pair being designated l2. Thus, there are formed two vertically spaced guide channels 13 completely encircling the garment to receive the draw-strings or cords as hereinafter set forth. At each side of the garment, the guide channels are provided with exterior openings as shown at l4 in Figure 5.

Arranged in and extending through each guide channel I3 are two draw-strings or loops IS. The two loops in each guide form a set and the loops of each set are reversed or oppositely disposed so that the ends of one loop, which are tied together outside the guide as shown at It, are at the side or hip opposite the tied ends of the other loop of the set. These ends extend, of course, out of the guide through the side openings M as shown in each of Figures 1, 2, 4, Sand 7.

When the waist of the garment is contracted or reduced in circumference by pulling the opposite ends of the two pairs of draw-strings, such ends will extend out of the guides as tails ll, as shown particularly in Figure 7, while the loops I5 will form circles around the waist of the wearer as is also shown in this figure. The tails of the loops of the two pairs may thus be tied together at the hips to form bows after the waist dimension has been adjusted to suit the wearer.

By the employment of the present invention the same adjustments may be obtained as are possible with elastic bands which cannot now be used. The provision of the two sets of cords, or four cords arranged in the novel manner described, gives a wide waist belt which in addition to making the garment comfortable, adds to its appearance byflforming a bandof gathers or plaits as particularly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Also, the two pairs of draw-cords or strings provide the two tails at each hip which can be tied together to maintain the waist in the adjusted condition.

In making adjustments, the bows at the sides of the garment are untied and by placing the thumbs inside the top of the garment and pulling the hands apart or away from the body, the waist will pull out and be enlarged. To decrease the waist size, the wearer will pull the two cords on each side of the garment and in this way any degree of tightness of the waist or belt portion may be obtained. I

In the process of tightening or drawing up the Waist, the gathers will form from the top of the hem, being very close or tight in the space between the draw-string guides and extending down below the guides to the bottom of the skirt as illustrated. The plaits are, of course, accentuated as the waist is drawn tighter or is reduced'in size. The invention thus not only provides a novel garment securing means but also provides a construction which imparts an attractive form to the garment automatically as the garment is secured to the wearers waist.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in some detail, it is to be understood that it may be changed or modified so long as such changes fall within the purview of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A garment having a waistportion, means forming two spaced draw-string guides circumferentially of the waist portion, each guide having an opening at opposite sides of the garment, and a pair of reversely arranged looped drawstrings in each of said guides, each draw-string having portions extending through one of the guide openings to form pull means, said guide openings being disposed one above the other whereby adjacent vertically spaced pull means may be secured together.

2. In a waist-support garment, a waist portion, a relatively wide hem thereat and extending entirely around the garment, said hem being secured to the waist portion by parallel lines of stitching defining upper and lower draw strin guides arranged in spaced relation, said guides having draw-string openings at diametrically opposed points, av pair of reversely arranged looped draw strings in each guide and having pull portions extending through the draw string openings, and the upper and lowerpull portions at each side of the waist portion being arranged for tying together to hold their respective loops in constricted adjustment independently of the other pair of loops.

BETTIE TERRELL. 

